Adil Najam
The game – the only game – that everyone in India and Pakistan were waiting for is now set. Pakistan meets India in the Semi-Final on Wednesday, March 30, at Mohali in Chandigarh, India. Either India or Pakistan WILL make it to the Final. Which one?
We know which one we want to get to the Final, but which one do you think will? Maybe the poll has lost meaning by now, but since we have been asking this question from the beginning of the World Cup (#1, #2, #3) lets keep going. What do you think happens to Pakistan from here onwards:
The progression of ATP opinion has been interesting, but not surprising: In our very first poll (816 responses) as many as 45% had thought Pakistan would not even reach the Semi-Finals, and 26% had thought Pakistan would become World Champion; In our second poll (821 responses) with this same question, only 13% thought Pakistan would be out before the Semi-Finals, and 49% thought Pakistan would become World Champion; In our third and most recent poll (1155 responses) on the subject, 11% felt Pakistan would not even make it to the Semi-Finals and as many as 60% thought Pakistan would become World Champion.
What do you think now. India vs. Pakistan, and maybe beyond. Where does Pakistan go in this Cricket World Cup 2011 from here?
Typo: Soft targets.
Meengla,
You are right about crowds being very passionate, with sporting rivalries being taken much too seriously, particularly when it comes to India and Pakistan. There was also the incident of the stoning of the Indian team during their 1989 tour of Pakistan. However, while there continue to be trouble makers off and on, the crowds are not the same as they used to be. And security is very different from what it used to be. Nothing can ever be ruled out but I don’t fear crowd trouble. The bigger worry for the organizers is the terrorist threat to the world cup, not just at the stadia but also at sift targets while the event is underway.
My wellwishes are with Pakistan but my money is on india
InshAllah Pakistan will win but I don’t think I am stating this because of emotions. However I have my doubts that it will be only due to pure cricket. To me some of the matches in this world cup were very strange and it pushes me to think that money / bookies have something to do with it. India-England, Ireland-England, India- Australia, NewZealand-South Africa. In my ‘conspiracy’ theory :-D the players will bet their money on Pakistan while ordinary people, millions of Indians, will bet on India and hence the opposite guys will take their money home. I guess it will be Pakistan-England final and Pakistan may win again but for the reasons in my theory. Shakespeare told us that this world is just a stage.
@Sridhar,
I continue to admire your posts here and you and I have had a few friendly and challenging exchanges before on this blogspace.
However, I don’t agree with your high views about Indian spectators.
I think the Indian cricket spectators are the most intolerant, the most racist, the most partisan, the most violent of any cricket playing nation in the world.
You would see a stark contrast to how well we Pakistanis treated the Indian team when visiting Pakistan in the last decade when compared with the ‘Aalo’ ‘Aalo’ chants when Inzimam was on field inside India. Heck, your spectators even boo-eed Tendulkar because he did not perform that well in a few innings against Pakistan inside India. I also remember some saner Indians in the blogspace apologizing for Indian spectators’ lack of good manners.
So why am I brining this up now?
Because I am genuinely afraid for the safety of the Pakistani team while inside India. Especially if/when Pakistan beats India in the Semi. I think the Pakistani team has walked into a den of….